In the comic books, Rick and his group are led to the safe zone by a scout, who goes outside the zone looking for survivors who would be a good fit for the community in Virginia. When they arrive, they find dozens of people in a big area, apparently part of a government survival neighborhood. It’s the place where Rick and the group eventually face Negan and his group.

The Citizen newspaper reported in July that a 15-foot wall would be built on the Gin Property in Senoia, to serve as a contained set for The Walking Dead.

The plans called for the wall to be in place from mid-September until the end of November, supporting the theory that the safe zone factors into season 5. However, The Citizen reported two weeks later that a hearing on August 18 by the Senoia City Council will actually consider whether to allow the wall to be up until 2019, perhaps indicating that the safe zone won’t come into play until season 6 or later.